Media Relations Campaign

How to organize and execute a media relations campaign when your Scout or Venturer is a member of the Report to the State delegation.

The Report to the State provides an opportunity for positive news coverage of the Boy Scouts of America and your council. Use this occasion to tell the Scouting story. Spotlight your delegate and Scouting’s positive effect in the community.

Besides communicating to your media outlets, you should also communicate to adult volunteer leaders, executive board members, donors, and—in areas with constructive relationships—the United Way.

Success has three essential elements:

  1. Proper planning
  2. Flexibility to allow multiple media outlets to cover the story
  3. The council’s commitment of staff time

Notification

Begin communications efforts once the youth delegates are selected. Include these audiences:

  • The youth member’s friends and other families in the unit. Clarify that, although only one Scout or Venturer was selected, the delegate will represent their entire unit, district, community, etc.
  • The youth member’s school. The delegate may miss a few days of school, which must be made up. Take this opportunity to strengthen the council’s relationships with the school, especially if it is the unit’s chartered organization. Suggest having a special send-off at the school for the delegate.
  • Council executive board members, key donors, and community leaders. This is one of those moments that simply must be capitalized on.
  • The parent’s employer. This could be a huge source of pride and a perfect story for company newsletters and Web sites.

Scheduling and Planning

After the excitement of the honor subsides, it’s time to focus on details that will be critical to the success of the media relations campaign.

  • While meeting with the family, emphasize the importance of communicating the youth delegate’s departure and arrival dates and times. Media may want to cover both events.
  • Find out when the unit meets and get contact information. Media outlets may want to visit a troop meeting, den outing, or Venturing activity. These meetings may provide good visuals for television.
  • Plan a send-off event. While communicating the news of the honor to the youth member’s school principal, mention the idea of an all-school assembly to recognize the delegate and how he or she will represent the school in the state capital.
  • Backdate the following:
    • First media release announcing the honor
    • Distribution of a media kit
    • Media advisory on send-off event
    • Media advisory on the homecoming

    Internal Communications

    Being selected as a delegate to the Report to the State is an honor. Here are some important points to remember when communicating to your internal audiences:

    • The council newsletter and Web site are primary communications tools. Place all media releases and other information prominently on the Web site’s home page.
    • Run follow-up stories after the event.

    Production

    These behind-the-scenes items can take a significant amount of time, but they are essential in assisting the media and telling the story.

    • Proper uniform. Make sure the delegate has at least two clean and complete uniforms.
    • Portrait photograph. Have a high-quality color photograph taken of the youth in full uniform. Have the photo ready for your council newsletter and Web site.
    • Interviews. Talk to the youth, the family, and the unit leader. Get quotes for the newsletter and Web site stories, and for upcoming media releases. Get details on the reactions of the youth and the youth’s family when they learned of the honor and found out about the trip to the capital to meet the state’s top elected officials.
    • Fact sheet, timeline for media kit. Prepare a fact sheet with basic information about the youth: full name, age, unit and number, rank, school, grade, and why he or she was selected as a delegate. Include the names of other sources close to the youth: parents, teachers, school principal, and unit leader. Prepare a timeline of the events leading up to the report, as well as all activities that are a part of the Report to the State.
    • Previous coverage. Assemble any previous news clippings about the youth member. Include them in the media kit for reference.

    Media List

    Even if you have a standard list, take time to review it for accuracy. Take time for some creative thinking. Ask yourself, “Is there anyone else who might be interested in this story?” When your list is assembled, go back to find the editors and reporters with whom you have good relationships; put them at the top of your list. Also, keep the database handy as a reference for tracking.

    If the youth attends a parochial school, contact the school to see if there is a community newsletter. If the youth delegate is from an ethnic group that may have a community newspaper or Web site, add that outlet to your media list for additional inroads into the community—this showcases a child in that community who is getting an opportunity to do something most only dream about.

    Pitching the Story

    Start selling the story to the reporters and editors with whom you have a relationship. If the story gets picked up in the local daily newspaper, it may get picked up by wire services. In many media markets, the daily newspaper still sets the agenda that other media outlets follow.

    Be prepared to help other media outlets with a slightly different or new angle for the story as they play catch-up with other outlets. Also, introduce the idea of the media outlet’s state capital bureau or affiliates covering the story.

    Media Releases

    Here is a sample schedule for releasing information. (See the Sample Press Release.)

    14 days in advance—Send the local release to all media.

    7 days in advance—Send the state release with proposed schedule to media.

    2 days before the send-off event—Send a one-page media advisory.

    1 day before homecoming—Send a one-page media advisory.

    Send-Off Event

    Besides being a significant media opportunity, the send-off can accomplish several other objectives:

    • At an all-school assembly, all attendees witness Scouting firsthand.
    • The school may present a gift or memento to the youth delegate that the youth could then give to state officials.
    • The council may use the opportunity to strengthen its relationship with the chartered organization and/or the school.
    • The youth delegate may use the opportunity to tell friends and fellow students that it’s an honor to represent them in the state capital.

    As with the production phase of the campaign, the send-off event requires much behind-the-scenes staff work. Give special attention to the following:

    • Agenda. Develop an agenda and provide copies to all who have a speaking part.
    • Scripts. Write comments for the delegate. This will prevent the youth from saying something that might be personally embarrassing or awkward for Scouting or the school. Offer to write comments for anyone else who is scheduled to speak.
    • Gifts. Present the delegate with a small gift from the council, such as a travel bag and some disposable cameras.
    • Thank-you notes. Be sure to express your appreciation to all involved.

    While in the State Capital

    The host council will have a photographer on hand to document the Report to the State and all of the activities associated with it. Make plans ahead of time for any special photos you will require. Work with the host council to make arrangements for any interviews that will be conducted while in the state capital.

    Homecoming

    Contact the family of the delegate and ask them to allow media to cover the homecoming. Distribute a media release that contains a brief synopsis of the youth’s trip and the estimated time of arrival.

    After the Homecoming

    The story doesn’t end after the delegate returns home. Continue to position the youth to retell the story. Here are a few examples.

    • Executive board meetings: Have the delegate tell about the trip. Present a slide show of photographs taken during the trip by the designated photographer. Providing the youth with a script will help inspire confidence and prevent any embarrassing remarks.
    • Fund-raising meetings: Have the delegate give a report about the trip to the people who make Scouting possible—volunteers raising funds for the council.
    • United Way: For those councils that have good relationships with United Ways, offer the Scout or Venturer as a success story that can be used during their fund-raising campaigns.

    Producing a Media Report

    Assemble a spreadsheet that shows all media placements. It should contain the date and time the report aired or was published, the media outlet, and the length of the report. If possible, provide the estimated audience and the media value of the spot. The Scout executive should forward this report to the council president, other key members of the executive board, and the area director.

    The area director should compile a full report that details the media coverage achieved through the Report to the State. Forward this media report to the region director.